War
by fleurily
Summary: The Noah Family's December A snowball fight. Done for 24xmas on LJ


Red cheeks, wet hair, creeping cold- The ingredients for a perfect snowball fight, all out in the front yard.

The twins had constructed a fort near the trees, tall enough to hide them and their entire arsenal while defending them from all sides. Tiki and Rhode were on the offensive, hiding behind a wall of sheer ice to avoid being taken out by any sly moves Jasdebi would want to pull with their abilities. The sky was gray, bright enough to provide light but warning of a storm in the distance, and the temperature was dropping rather quickly.

There was one goal and purpose to this ceaseless battle, a fight for the glory of the cookies sitting on the kitchen counter. Both sides were battered, for the war had been harsh, vicious and prolonged for the majority of the day. Tiki would have gone inside hours ago, but Rhode refused to let him leave, so here he stood with his back against the wall and waited for at least one of the children to fall over unconscious so he could go inside to a glass of warm brandy and a hot bath. The man hissed something explicit beneath his breath, shifting on his feet and rubbing his mittened hands together in an attempt to regain feeling in the digits.

"Rhode, this is ridiculous. You'll be out here until it's dark if you keep this up." Tiki sounded thoroughly annoyed, but Rhode just smiled, tilting her head to the side as she looked at him. The knit hat on her spiky black hair was soaked just like everything else, practically begging for a head cold, in Tiki's opinion.

"They'll give up soon. I know it. We just have to wait. Then we'll get all of the cookies and they'll be stuck with no sweets at all!" She almost squealed the last words, climbing up to peer over the wall and quickly ducking as a flurry of snowballs met the appearance of her head.

"No, Rhode, that isn't what is going to happen." Tiki was staring at the front window of the house with a rather unenthused expression, wondering if the Earl and Lulubelle were standing behind the glass and laughing his misery. They probably were. That damn cat was probably drinking all of his damn whiskey.

Tiki raised his voice rather suddenly, making sure the boys would be able to hear across the long yard. "It is going to get dark quite soon. You and the twins will stand out here freezing until one of you falls over dead from hypothermia or frostbite or some other form of cold-induced fatal malady. And then, when you drag the stiff body inside wailing about the fate of your comrade, I will be sitting in my chair. I will be warm as can be, with a blanket on my lap, a book in one hand, and a glass of something extremely delicious and extremely high in alcohol content in the other. You will be frozen, turning blue, and crying like the little monsters you are, and do you know what I will do?"

His pause for breath was met with a long silence from all sides, Rhode staring at him with a rather puzzled expression on her rosy face.

"I will laugh, because it will all be for nothing." He pushed off from the wall with a soft huff, taking a few steps toward the house as he spoke. "It will all be for nothing because right now I am going inside. I will take off my coat and boots… And I will eat every last one of those bloody cookies. Every single delicious, gingerbread, peppermint morsel will be all-"

He was cut off as the front door opened on the house, the rather loud sound of the bells on the knob ringing through the outdoor air as the Earl waddled out with a tray of mugs in hand. "Chiiiiildreeeeeen!"

All three of the Noah children popped their heads up, full attention directed toward the man holding something obviously of interest to them. Tiki looked disbelieving at the sudden appearance, one foot still up on the top of the snow to take another step.

"You all must be so cold out there! I made hot chocolate for you, dears, and there's a fresh batch of gingerbread for you all to share in front of the fire!"

They were off as if they'd been told to skip hence at gunpoint, dashing past Tiki with shouts and some tackling tumbles into the snow on their way to the porch. They were lured inside like a gaggle of fish on the end of a line, the Earl tiptoeing backward with his tray held just out of reach.

Tiki watched the door with that same cynical expression, waiting for it to slam shut and leave him out in the cold as it usually did. It didn't, though, just sitting open as the voices faded inside. He waited, for some reason, just watching, and then that head popped through the door again, smile as broad as ever.

"Are you coming, Tiki-pon? I have a nice, hot nip of brandy waiting for you by the fire!"

He looked startled for a moment, the expression fading into a soft smile after a pause. Well, perhaps he hadn't been forgotten and neglected after all. Tiki took another step, shifting so he was able to remain on top of the snow as he started for the door. "I'm coming, Duke Millennium. They'd best not be eating all of my gingerbread in there!"


End file.
